


Corruption

by No1fan15



Series: System Failure [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, I WILL WRITE THEM THE BEST I CAN, I have the weirdest ships, Multi, lapidot - Freeform, poly cool kids, polygems - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-16
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-21 00:31:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4808036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/No1fan15/pseuds/No1fan15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place after the events of Glitch. The gems are adjusting to Lapis and Peridot living with them, and while things seem all well and good, something is stirring inside the temple. A certain gem, though corrupted, has enough sense left to know she's been trapped. And she'll stop at nothing to get out. *Sequel to Glitch- Lapidot -Some dark themes-Cliffhangers er'were*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This takes place after the story, Glitch. Please read it first, otherwise you'll be missing a lot of context! For context on the gem "mindscape", I refer you to the comics. ( Look under the "Extras" section on the site " The world of Steven Universe." )

**Crystal Gems Temple, The burning room, inside a bubble**

Jasper could feel it. Even with all of the pain from the corruption happening to her gem, she knew that she was trapped, and she couldn't do anything about it. Defeated, injured, and stuck at the mercy of her enemies. She paced around the mindscape of her gem, a scowl on her face, occasionally pausing to kick something out of her way. The area around her had used to look like Homeworld, but cracks were making their way through the landscape, deep orange crystals growing out of the ground. She slammed her fist into one of them and was disappointed when nothing happened. She had no power here. Jasper continued to walk as she thought back to her battle with Lapis.

 _" That sneaky traitor... when I get out of here, she's the first one gone. "_ she thought. The idea gave her little comfort, but was dispelled quickly when another bolt of pain made its way from her gem and throughout her body. She paused and gritted her fangs as another crystal grew out of her shoulder. The corruption had been spreading, taking over the right side of her body, leaving her with elongated claws on her hand and foot and no vision out of one eye.

" Those gems will pay for this..." she growled as she resumed her pacing. " I just need some more time..."

* * *

**Beach City, The Big Doughnut**

" Hey Sadie! Hey Lars! Come meet my new friends!"

Sadie stopped her restocking and looked at the door to see Steven smiling widely. She grinned and leaned on the counter.

" Lars is busy in the back room, but I'd love to meet your friends, Steven. You seem pretty excited." she said. Steven ran up to her and gestured behind him at two figures who had followed him inside.

" Sadie, meet Lapis and Peridot!" he said. Sadie looked at the newcomers. They definitely weren't human, but with Steven, that was almost expected. Judging by their appearance, they were probably Gems, like the others. One was light blue and slender, with navy hair and a flowing skirt. The other was green and, for some reason, had floating fingers. Sadie wasn't sure who exactly they were, however, she did vaguely recognize them.

" Hey, aren't you the one that took the ocean about a year ago? " she said, pointing at the blue one. The woman in question blushed slightly and nodded. Sadie quickly realized her mistake when the green one glared at her.

" Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up. " she stammered. She got a small smile in response.

" It's okay, don't worry about it, it's all people here recognize me for. I promised to Steven that I won't do it again. Sorry got getting off on the wrong foot. My name's Lapis, Lapis Lazuli. You're Sadie, right?"

" Yeah, it's nice to meet you properly. " said Sadie, reaching out to shake hands. Lapis looked a little confused until Steven motioned for her to respond. She realized what he has trying to tell her and shook hands.

" Sorry, I'm not too familiar with some of your human customs, but I'm getting better at learning." she said. Sadie smiled and turned towards the other woman.

" You must be Peridot, right? " she asked. Peridot gave her a stiff nod and stared at the offered hand until Lapis gave her a nudge. She blushed slightly, sighed, and quickly shook hands. Steven was oblivious to the awkward social situation taking place and smiled at the three people around him.

" So we're all friends now, right? " he asked hopefully. Lapis patted his head lightly.

" Yes Steven, we're friends. " she said. Steven grabbed her hand and began walking towards the door.

" There's a lot more people I want you to meet! C'mon Peridot! Catch up!" he said as he left the building. Peridot ran to the door, but before she left, she turned back towards the counter.

" Look, I don't know a lot about humans, and I don't trust them either. But Lapis trusts Steven, and Steven trusts you, so I need to ask you something important. " she said. Sadie nodded nervously.

" If something bad ever happens, promise that you, and whoever you're with, will protect Lapis if I'm not there." said Peridot quietly.

" I will, promise. " said Sadie, relived that she hadn't accidentally angered the gem. Peridot gave Sadie a small smile before leaving the building. Just as the bell on the door stopped jingling, Lars walked out of the back room, setting down a box.

" Lemme guess, they didn't buy anything? " he grumbled. Sadie nodded.

" It was Steven and some new Gems. They looked friendly enough. You'll probably meet them eventually." she said. Lars just groaned and continued retrieving more boxes. Sadie took a moment to look out the window before going back to work.

 _" I wonder what she meant by something bad..."_ she thought.

* * *

**On the boardwalk**

" Sorry about what happened to your mayor, Steven. " said Lapis. The human had sneaked up on the group and yelled into a megaphone about his campaign. The sudden noise had startled Lapis and she used the nearby ocean to completely soak the man before she realized who he was. It hadn't helped that Peridot was aiming her energy cannon at his face. It had taken several apologies before he had stomped off and left in his van.

" Don't worry about it Lapis, he'll be fine, he's been through worse." said Steven.

" It could have been something serious..." muttered Peridot. Lapis reached over and took the other Gem's hand.

" It could have, but it wasn't, and we're all okay. Please try to relax. " she said, giving her partner a quick peck on the cheek. Peridot blushed and tightened her grip.

" Okay... I'll try." she mumbled. " But only because it's you. "

" Thanks. " replied Lapis. Steven had run ahead to point out more things, leaving the two more of less alone on the boardwalk, as most of the humans tended to avoid them. Lapis stopped walking and tried to move in for a kiss.

" There's people watching..." said Peridot, blush darkening. Lapis giggled.

" I didn't know you were shy Peri." she said smugly. Peridot only became more flustered. Lapis let out a small laugh and kept walking.

" It's okay, I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable. " she said. Peridot smiled back at her.

" Thanks Lazi. " she said. Steven ran over to them.

" Hurry up guys, you're falling behind!" he said, grabbing Lapis' free hand and pulling both gems along behind him towards the amusement park.


	2. Chapter 2 - Connection

AN:/ Here's the next one!/

* * *

**Crystal Gems Temple**

" I'm glad you guys had fun.. EYAWN...at the amusement park today..."

Lapis looked down at the sleepy half-human in front of her. Steven had been running around all day once he had discovered that Lapis and Peridot had never been to an amusement park before. He insisted that they try all of the things that he wasn't banned from. They had left after Peridot accidentally destroyed one of the games. She had defended herself by saying that the small targets she had needed to hit were rigged, and that a large energy blast would win the game, and how was she supposed to know that the booth was flammable? To make a long story short, they probably weren't going back anytime soon. Steven hadn't minded, as he had quickly come up with a plan for the next days activities, rambling until bedtime. At the moment he was finally falling asleep.

" Goodnight, Lapis... Goodnight, Peridot..." he mumbled as he drifted off. Lapis smiled slightly.

" Goodnight Steven." she whispered. She walked downstairs to find Peridot working on something she didn't recognize.

" What'cha doing?" she asked, dropping onto the couch. Peridot sat down beside her, never taking her eyes off her screen.

" I'm trying to compose a convincing fake report to Homeworld. They need to believe that the don't have to send reinforcements. It's been difficult trying to come up with a story that will work." she said. Lapis leaned on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Don't worry too much about it. They haven't send anyone yet, right? After such a long time you'd think they would have shown up quite a while go. You need some time to relax, Peri, you've been doing so much work. " she said, cuddling up closer. Peridot blushed but still wrapped an arm around her partner.

" I know... I just want to make sure you're safe." she mumbled. Lapis gave Peridot a quick kiss on the cheek.

" I know you're worried about me, but I'm worried about you too, so just try to take a break for a while." she said. Peridot's blush darkened as she smiled and put down her holoscreen. She turned towards Lapis to give her a proper kiss. The two Gems giggled. Their laughs soon turned into small shouts of surprise as they lost their balance and fell backwards onto the couch.

" Oh! Sorry! Sorry, sorry sorry." sputtered Peridot as she tried to shift her weight off of Lapis. The other Gem laughed again and wrapped her arms around Peridot, pulling her closer.

" Don't be sorry. This is the closest you've been to me for a while. " she said, grinning at the flustered look on Peridot's face. Peridot would have responded, but got distracted by sound of the temple door opening. The two attempted to sit up properly, but moved too quickly and lost their balance again, rolling over and falling onto the floor.

" Pfft, Wow, looks like I'm interrupting something. Don't mind me, just try to keep the volume down. You don't want to wake up Steven, do you?" said Amethyst smugly. She walked past Lapis and Peridot, ignoring their complaints, and left the house. Peridot glared at the purple gem through the screen door.

" Hey! How dare you, you... you... CLOD!" she shouted. Amethyst was nowhere in sight. Lapis however, had found much more amusement out of the insult than Peridot did, and was trying not to collapse laughing.

" Really Peri? Clod? Do you even know what that means? It's like, the weakest insult you could have picked, and you were so into it!" she said between giggles. Peridot narrowed her eyes at the blue Gem above her.

" It's not like you could have come up with something better." she grumbled. Lapis tried to contain her amusement and look serious, which only served to make both of them laugh even harder, the stress from earlier forgotten.

" Amethyst was kinda right. Steven is trying to sleep." admitted Lapis after she stopped giggling. Peridot nodded and tried to sit up, but couldn't go anywhere. She looked up at Lapis.

" Umm.. would you maybe consider getting up?" she asked. Lapis' expression changed from innocent to devious almost instantaneously. She grinned and leaned down farther, her face hovering above Peridot's, almost laughing again at the look of dawning realization on the other Gem's face.

" I 'dunno, I kind of like it here." she whispered. Peridot blushed and tried to say something back. All she managed was a small squeaking noise. Lapis allowed herself one more giggle.

" Really? That's all you have to say?" she said. Peridot might have said something then, but she decided not to risk it, instead she glared slightly at Lapis and tried to look upset. Lapis laughed again.

" You're so cute, Peri." she murmured, leaning forwards to kiss her partner, closing the small distance between them. She pulled back from the kiss to see a very flustered Peridot. Lapis backed up, sitting up strait, her smug grin turning into a worried frown.

" Do you want to stop? I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I just got a bit carried away, I really should have asked first." she said quickly, feeling a blush of her own creep up on her.

" It's okay Lapis, I'm fine, things were just going a little too fast for me." Peridot reassured her. Lapis looked down nervously.

" Are you sure?" she asked. Peridot smiled and pulled the other Gem to the floor with her.

" Affirmative." she said, smiling slightly at the fact that she had managed to make Lapis blush, wrapping her arms around her lover. " Let's just take things slowly, okay?"

" Of course. " replied Lapis, smiling again, happily snuggling up with Peridot.

If Steven had been awake, there was no doubt he would have been ecstatic, if a little embarrassed. However, the young boy had other things to focus on in his dreams, one in particular demanding his attention.

**Inside Steven's Dreams**

" Checkmate! " declared Steven triumphantly as he placed his chess piece on the checkers board. He looked proudly over at his opponent, a small brown dog with a propeller in its back, who was calculating his next move. The dog moved a beanbag on top of the opposing chess piece.

" Double checkmate. I win." he said in a voice deeper than you'd expect from a dog, if dogs could talk.

" Awwww, not again Dogcopter. How come you always win?" whined Steven. This had been the fourth game in a row he had lost to the animal. Dogcopter began to fly away.

" I win because I never give up, Steven, because you can achieve your dreams if you try hard enough." he replied as he flew into the distance. " I would suggest you do the same. Oh, and brace yourself." he said. Steven was about to ask what he meant when he suddenly found himself in a new place. Large stone structures surrounded him in various states of decay, massive orange crystals growing out of the ground, extending to the sky. This all paled in comparison to the large figure in front of him. Steven woke up with a gasp. He sat in his bed, trying not to tremble, looking to see if any of the Gems were nearby. Lapis and Peridot were cuddled up on the couch. The rest of the Gems were in the temple. Steven tried to go back to bed, but barely slept, unable to get the image of a corrupted Jasper out of his mind.


	3. Chapter 3 - Discovery

**AN: Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

" Good morning Steven. Did you sleep well?" said Lapis. Steven yawned widely and sat down at the counter for breakfast, shaking his head.

" Not really. I had a really weird dream." he mumbled, jabbing a fork into a pancake.

" There was a lot of old looking buildings, and these big orange crystals, and for some reason Jasper was there. She looked like she was in really bad shape too. There were a bunch of crystals growing out of her, and one of her eyes was all white. It was kinda freaky. " he said through a mouthful of food. He looked up to see the rest of the Crystal Gems staring at him. Garnet walked over to stand next to Steven. She knelt down to be at the same height as the boy, placing her hands on his shoulders.

" Steven, listen very carefully, I need you to tell me exactly what happened in your dream." she said. Steven rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Umm.. okay. When I got to the weird building place, Jasper saw me, and tried to attack me. She shouted something about "getting even", but then I woke up." he said.

" Steven, listen to me, Jasper can't hurt you. Even if your dream seemed real, you were still just dreaming, so there's nothing to worry about." she said. Steven smiled and hopped off his chair.

" Thanks Garnet. Maybe I'll make friends with Jasper in my next dream." he said happily. Garnet gave Steven a small smile.

" You do that Steven." she said. She stood up and motioned to the other Gems to listen.

" Okay Gems. I will guard Jasper's bubble. Pearl, Amethyst, you two are doing the missions for today. Lapis, Peridot, you will stay with Steven." she said. All the Gems nodded and moved towards their respective tasks.

" Steven, Garnet has assigned Lapis and I to stay with you throughout the day, so if you are going somewhere let us know." said Peridot. Steven smiled widely and grabbed the two Gems hands.

" That's great! I'm supposed to be hanging out with Connie today, but I'm sure she won't mind you guys coming along!" he said excitedly. He walked out the door and down towards the beach, pulling Lapis and Peridot behind him. He waved at Connie to get her attention.

" Hi Steven! Oh, hi to you too Lapis, Peridot." said Connie.

" Hello Connie. Garnet told us to stay with Steven today." said Lapis. Connie nodded.

" That's probably a good idea. I can't stay too long. My class is having a field trip to the aquarium." she said. Peridot looked confused.

" Class? Field trip? What do those words mean?" she asked.

" Oh, that means my class from school is going to do something special, something different from usual." Connie explained. Peridot still looked puzzled.

" How about I just bring you guys with me? My teacher needs some adult volunteers to help supervise the trip." said Connie. Steven looked up at Lapis and Peridot with stars in his eyes.

" Okay Steven, we'll come with you two. Right Peridot?" said Lapis. Peridot nodded reluctantly. She really wasn't looking forward to spending the day surrounded by humans she didn't know. A few minutes of walking and talking later, they had reached the meeting place for Connie's class. She had explained that Beach city was closer to the aquarium than her school, so they had agreed to meet in town. The explanations continued when Connie's teacher had some questions about the Gems. However, the conversation topic changed quickly when the teacher got a call from the bus driver saying that the bus had broken down. The class complained quietly as they tried to figure out what to do next.

" Hey! I've got an idea!" exclaimed Connie. She turned towards Lapis.

" Can you do something with the ocean to let us see the fish?" she asked. Lapis looked towards the beach.

" I guess I could do something... are you sure I should? Lapis asked. Both Connie and Steven bobbed their heads in agreement. Lapis walked down to the beach, followed by curious humans, and raised a hand. A small globe of water floated into the air and hovered over to her. It stayed suspended above her hand, glimmering in the light, small fish swimming undisturbed inside.

" How's that?" she asked. Any response she would have gotten was muffled as she became surrounded by amazed human children. She lowered the orb of water to let them get a closer look.

" I think you may want to use something a bit bigger." suggested Peridot, uncomfortable with the swarm of kids around them.

" That's probably a good idea." Lapis said as she put the water back into the ocean. She took a few steps closer to the shoreline and raised both hands in the air. After a short pause, a huge wave rose up, suspended in place. The children ran towards it and marvelled at the multitude of sea creatures in front of them. The rest of the day was spent in a similar fashion. By the time the school bus arrived, the sun was beginning to set in the distance, tingeing the world a soft pink. The schoolkids reluctantly filed onto the bus, waving at Lapis happily, smiling all the while. Connie's teacher walked up to Lapis.

" This money was supposed to have paid for the aquarium admission, but I think you should have it. After all, we would have never seen all of that in an aquarium."

" Oh...um...well, I..."

"We'll take it, thank you." interrupted Peridot, taking the money from the human. The bus drove off into the distance, the children still waving, excited beyond belief to tell their families what they had seen that day. Peridot handed the money to Steven.

"Here. I believe this earth currency will be of assistance to you in the future." she said. Steven smiled.

" Thanks Peridot. And Lapis, that was amazing! You should do that all the time!" he said. Lapis blushed slightly.

" Thanks Steven. I guess it would be something to do. And it would help your family's money problem."

" I didn't know my family had a money problem, but I'm glad you helped get rid of it, Lapis." said Steven.

" Steven, I called my parents, and they said I can sleep over tonight. We can watch Under the Knife together." said Connie. The two kids ran ahead of the Gems, eager to catch the newest episode of their favourite show. Lapis and Peridot trailed a few meters behind them, hand in hand, talking about the day.

" Do you really think that you can keep this "aquarium" thing up? It's kind of stressful, all those little humans running around, always talking about something." said Peridot. Lapis smiled and nudged Peridots shoulder.

" I dunno, you talk a lot, and I don't mind that. Besides, they have questions, and I have answers for them. The way their little faces light up... It's so nice to see." she said. Peridot looked over at her partner. Lapis was smiling, looking out over the ocean, a peaceful expression on her face. Peridot felt herself beginning to blush. Lapis looked over at her.

" Notice something?" she asked with a playful smile. Peridots blush grew darker.

" Just how beautiful you look." she mumbled. Lapis smiled wider, her cheeks tinging a darker blue with a small blush of her own.

" Why Peri, I'm flattered, you haven't said anything like that for a long time." she said.

" I'm going to try it more often, I promise."

" Just kiss me already, you silly Gem." Lapis giggled and pulled her lover closer. By the time the two of them had reached the house, Steven and Connie were already watching their show, eyes glued to the screen. Garnet motioned for Lapis and Peridot to join the rest of the Gems in the temple. The five of them stood in Pearls room.

" Lapis, Peridot, I have news for you. Pearl and Amethyst discovered a disturbance in one of the upper areas of the kindergarten. We're not sure what it is, and it needs to be watched, but we can't leave Steven. I'm asking you to watch the kindergarten for us. There's a abandoned hut nearby that belonged to some humans long ago. You can stay there until you find out what's going on." said Garnet. The two Gems in question took a few moments to process this information.

" May we speak in private for a moment?" asked Lapis. Garnet nodded. Lapis grabbed Peridots arm and pulled her aside.

" What should we do Peri?" she asked.

" We don't really have a choice. Even if we said no, they would probably find a way to get us to do it, so we might as well agree. We'll go to the kindergarten, find whatever it is that's causing the problem, and then come back here." replied Peridot. Lapis sighed.

" I guess you're right. Steven won't be too happy." she murmured. Peridot kissed her forehead lightly.

" Hey, being stuck with me isn't that bad, is it?" she said. Lapis smiled and kissed Peridot.

" I guess not." she said. The two shared a short laugh and walked over to the other Gems.

" We've decided to do as you want, and I assume you'll want us to go right away. Just let Steven know where we went. He tends to worry." said Lapis. Garnet gave them a slight smile.

" He does indeed. I'll let Steven know where you are." she said. Steven only wondered a little bit that night about where Lapis and Peridot had warped too. He had something a little more important to focus on that night. He drifted off to sleep, determined to find Jasper again, as he had a feeling that there was more to his last dream than there had seemed.

**Inside Jasper's gem**

" Hello? Jasper? Are you in here?" Steven called out. No response other than a slight echo came from the barren landscape. Steven walked through the wreckage.

" Jasper, I know you're in here. I just wanna talk." he shouted, making his way around one on the many crystals growing out of the ground.

" _**Leave me alone."**_

The gruff voice was muffled, but Steven could tell where it was coming from, and walked slowly towards one of the collapsed buildings. He ducked under a piece of stone and looked into the tiny space created by the broken rock. A very angry Gem glared back at him. A faint glow emanating from the crystals growing out of Jasper's body provided the only light.

" I said, leave me alone, you... you... _thing_." she growled. Steven took a small step backwards. Even if this was just a dream, Jasper was still very intimidating, and he didn't want to upset her.

" I'm not a thing. I'm Steven. You kept calling me Rose back on the ship, but that was my mom's name, not mine. I do have her Gem. That's why I have all of her powers." he explained. Jasper looked warily at the hybrid child.

" Why are you telling me all of this? Rose would never reveal her secrets so easily." she said. Steven attempted to smile.

" It's because I'm not my mom. I want to help you, Jasper, I wanna be friends. And friends tell each other stuff about themselves. Why don't you tell me something about you?" he said. He sat down just outside of the entrance. Jasper scowled.

" Why would I want to be your friend? I'm not telling you anything." she said. Steven kept on smiling.

" That's okay. I'll wait here until you wanna talk." he said. The two of them sat in silence for a very long time. Eventually, Jasper glanced over at the child, and had an idea.

" _If I tell him about the war, it might scare him into leaving.. .he seems like the type to run away.."_ she thought. She cleared her throat to get Steven's attention.

" Okay kid. You want me to talk? I'll talk. But I'm only gonna say this stuff once so listen up." she snarled. Steven smiled wider and moved a bit closer, stars in his eyes, eager to hear more.

" It all started about 6000 years ago..."


	4. Chapter 4 - Planning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a break from this to work on my own original webcomic. Now the comic's being posted, and I can focus on the System failure series again! Get hyped!

**7000 years ago, Kindergarten, unknown planet**

The newly grown gem looked up at the rocky walls surrounding her. The sheer scope of the area was overwhelming. She realized that they were alone. Small tears ran down her cheeks. She allowed herself a few minutes to sob, releasing her emotions, her cries echoing in the cold abandoned canyon.

" H-hello? Anyone there?" she stammered after she caught her breath. The little sunlight that slipped through the cloud cover glinted off of her gem, creating a faint orange glow in the darkness. It didn't take long before more Gems showed up. The young Gem followed their orders, but couldn't help overhearing their talk of her being wrong, a defective. She quickly created a new form, much larger and much more powerful than her first.

" _Weak... I will never be weak."_ she promised herself. Jasper looked out over her birthplace, eyes narrowed, before turning her back and following the others.

**Present Day, Jasper's mindscape**

"So you were from a kindergarten... you're just like Amethyst!" said Steven. Hie eyes were wide as he sat and listened to Jasper's story. The Homeworld warrior looked at the small human in front of her with disbelief. She had already told this thing about horrific wars and terror, yet he was only interested in comparing her to that.. that _runt?_

" I am _not_ like that failure." she growled. Steven's smile faded slightly.

"Amethyst isn't a failure. She's really strong!" he insisted. He may have said more, but paused to yawn loudly, rubbing his eyes.

" I think I need to – EYAWN - wake up now. It was fun talking to you Jasper! Maybe I'll bring one of the Crystal Gems next time. See ya!" he said happily, fading from view as he woke up in his bed. Jasper stared at where the half human had been sitting. She winced as another crystal made its way out of her skin. If this "Steven" could help her... maybe she should wait and see what happens next time he shows up...

**Stevens house, Beach city.**

"Guys! Guys! You won't believe what happened last night!" said Steven excitedly as he jumped out of bed. He ran down the stairs, and over to the couch, shaking the two sleeping Gems that were in it.

" Lapis! Peridot! Wake up!" he said loudly. The two Gems in question flailed around slightly as they were woken up.

" What? What it it? What happened?" asked Lapis, frantically looking around, wings spread. Peridot was already on her feet, laser at the ready.

" I think I talked to Jasper in my dream last night!" he said. Lapis and Peridot both looked over at the small boy. They lowered their weapons, confused.

"You did what now?"

**Later that day...**

"So.. you talked to Jasper?" said Pearl, still a bit skeptical of the whole thing. Steven nodded.

"Yeah! She told me about the wars, and Homeworld, and the kindergarten she was made in!" he said. The rest of the Gems huddled up to discuss this newest development. Lapis walked over to Steven in an attempt to lighten things up.

" Hey Steven, do you want to go down to the beach again? I can do that aquarium thing." she said with a smile. Steven nodded enthusiastically. Lapis motioned for Peridot to tag along. The green Gem sighed and walked over. The three left the house, letting the remaining gems continue to decide their next course of action. Despite the day of fun that followed for Steven, the rest of the Gems were less optimistic, and spent their time guarding Jasper's gem. From inside the confines of her mind, Jasper felt it, and knew that the next time she met those Gems, it would not be an easy fight.


	5. Chapter 5 - Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Note- This chapter starts with Steven singing. The tune is " Glory, Glory, How peculiar." Guess my Sparks/Brownies/Girl Guides/Pathfinders days are kicking in. If you don't know the song, look it up.

 

**Beach City, Boardwalk**

"Ooooooooohhh we're walking on the sand, and life is really grand! Life is really grand and we're walking hand in hand! Oh, we're walking hand in hand when we're walking on the sand, 'cause life is grand, we're hand in hand, walking on the sand!" sang Steven loudly. It was the fourth verse of his " Grand Sand Holding Hands Song" and he didn't sound like he would stop anytime soon. Peridot sighed as the child launched into the next verse.

"Oooooooooohhh my best friends are holding hands! They're holding hands as they're walking on the sand! Oh, They're walking on the sand and their lives are grand! Their lives are grand, they're holding hands as they're walking on the sand!"

"It's a very nice song, Steven, but maybe you should take a break." said Lapis. Steven pouted a little.

"Awww, but I had so many more verses!" he said. Lapis patted him on the head gently.

"I'm sure you do, but you don't want to get sand in your mouth, do you?" she asked. Steven shook his head and giggled a little.

"Ewww, that'd be gross! C'mon, let's play tag! You're it!" he said, tapping her arm. Lapis smiled and followed Steven as he ran ahead. Peridot watched both of them with a grin. She never imagined that she could be this happy. This planet really was something special. She took a deep breath to ready herself for what she was about to do.

"Steven, Lapis, come here for a second. I have something to tell you." she shouted. The two ran over, slightly winded, but curious.

"What is it Peri?" asked Lapis. Steven looked up at Peridot with a huge smile on his face.

"Are you gonna join the Crystal Gems?!" he exclaimed. Peridot looked down at the boy and grinned again.

"I think so."

"REALLY!?" That's so AWESOME!" shouted Steven happily. Lapis looked at Peridot, surprised, but happy.

"And here I though I'd have to convince you." she said.

"That's not all." said Peridot. She leaned over to Lapis and whispered something to her. The blue gem's eyes grew wider as she listened.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Peridot nodded.

"Alright then, I'll do it, just be back soon. Steven? Don't look." said Lapis. She raised a blob of water out of the ocean and formed it into a spear. She shut her eyes as she made it speed towards Peridot.

_SHUNK!_

Even with her eyes closed, Lapis still winced, knowing that the spear had found its target.

_Fhwoosh!_

Lapis cautiously opened one eye. She could see the green triangular gem sitting in the sand, surrounded by Peridot's limb enhancers. Before Steven could ask any questions, the gem began to glow, and rose off the beach. A blob of light emerged from the gem and solidified. Peridot stood on the beach, wobbling a bit, feeling the new sensation of sand under her feet. Speaking of feet...

She looked down and saw that she, indeed, had normal feet. They were covered in an organic feeling material akin to a sock. These " socks " continued up her legs until they hit her knees, where there was a band of darker material, before continuing as normal to her hips. Her bodysuit was in the same place, but where there had been a diamond before, there was now a light yellow star. Four pieces of dark green fabric extended from the corners of the star and around her body. Her arms were uncovered with the exception of two dark green fingerless gloves that went down to her hands. Peridot wiggled her new fingers and toes. She smiled widely and giggled a little, before laughing fully, ecstatic that her plan had worked.

"I did it!" she exclaimed happily. She looked over at Steven and Lapis. Then she noticed a slight difference from before.

"Ummm... Lapis? Did you... get.. taller?" she asked, looking up at her partner. Lapis didn't hear the question, as she seemed to be laughing, more than Peridot had ever seen.

"Oh my stars, Peri, you're so TINY!" she said when she had caught her breath. Steven ran over to the technician.

"Look Peridot! We're the same height!" he said, measuring from the top of his head. Peridot felt a blush forming on her cheeks.

"What?! I shouldn't be this small!" she exclaimed, checking to make sure her new form was all in one piece. She concluded that she had focused so much on her new outfit that she had neglected to change her height.

"Lapis. Spear. Now." she huffed. Lapis giggled some more.

"Aww, so soon? But you look so cute!

"This is NOT up for debate Lapis!"

"Fine." sighed Lapis, repeating her attack from earlier. The second time Peridot formed she looked the same, but was definitely taller, though she was still a tad shorter than Lapis. They began walking back to the house, as Steven was very excited to show the Crystal Gems Peridot's new appearance. On their way down the boardwalk, Peridot noticed Lapis looking at some of the humans nearby. Specifically, the ones with small children.

"Lapis? Are you okay?" asked Peridot.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just... thinking." said Lapis. She smiled and sighed slightly.

"Peridot? Do you ever think.. you might... want a family? Like... your own family, with kids?" she asked. Peridot was silent for a few moments.

"That.. depends."

"On what?"

"On the circumstances. Such factors would include the living situation and financial support. But, most importantly, it would depend on whoever would be supporting this hypothetical family with me." she said, trying to sound professional, but failing. She smiled nervously. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no particular reason, just wondering." replied Lapis, looking away, seemingly disappointed. Peridot stopped walking and gently placed her hands on her partner's shoulders.

"Listen, Lapis, I'm not going to pretend that I don't know why you wanted to bring up families. If you want to ask me something, just say it, please." she said. Lapis blushed slightly.

"Well... ever since I saw how families work on earth, I kind of wanted one. And once I learned what children are... I felt that I could do something like that, look after a living being and care for it. Back when those kids were here for a field trip, I loved seeing the looks on their faces when I taught them something, and the way they were so accepting of me. I know that Gems don't create new Gems the way humans do, but the thought of having a child.. just makes me happy." she explained, her blush growing deeper with every word. Peridot pulled the blue Gem into a tight hug.

"Lapis... if you're trying to ask if I would want to raise a family with you... then you should have said so sooner." she mumbled. Lapis hugged her back tightly.

"Peridot, would you like to have a family with me?" she whispered. Peridot moved back from the hug and kissed her companion.

"Only if you promise to stay with me the whole time. I don't want to start a family and suddenly have to raise it by myself." she said. Lapis giggled.

"I don't think I'm leaving you anytime soon, Peri, especially now that I've been promised kids." she said. Peridot let out a small chuckle.

"I haven't promised you anything." she said jokingly. Lapis ruffled Peridot's hair, earning her a small yelp of protest from the technician.

"Well, promise me then, and I'll leave your hair alone."

"Okay,okay, I promise!" said Peridot. Lapis smiled and brushed Peridot's hair back into place with her fingers.

"Thank you. Your hair is safe... for now." she said with a smirk. The two laughed and held hands as they continued walking down the beach and to the temple. Steven had already arrived there. The first sight to greet them as they walked through the door was Garnet. The fusion had a rare smile on her face.

"So, I heard you two want to start a family?" she said. Peridot and Lapis both blushed.

"Not right now, but eventually, once we figure things out." explained Peridot. Garnet nodded in approval.

"Good. We have a few more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. Speaking of, you two need to get to your post in the kindergarten." she said, back to her usual monotone. The two ex-Homeworld Gems said their goodbyes to Steven and the others before warping to the site. Garnet watched them leave and then turned to Steven.

"Steven, I have a special mission for you." she said. The young boy snapped to attention. Garnet knelt down to talk to him at eye level. She removed her glasses to reveal a serious expression.

"Tonight, you need to visit Jasper again in your sleep, but this time, you're taking Pearl and Amethyst with you."


	6. Chapter 6 - Trusting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Time to kick things up a notch.

**Stevens Room, about 9:30 pm**

"So if I stay up later - EYAWN - it'll be easier to fall asleep and find Jasper, right?" said Steven sleepily. Garnet patted him on the head lightly.

"That's the plan Steven. You'll visualize a place in your dreams, and Pearl and Amethyst will meet you there, so you can go and talk to Jasper. I'll stay here in case any of you need to be woken up." she said. Steven yawned again and curled up on his bed. Amethyst was sprawled on the couch below, already snoring, and Pearl had opted to sleep sitting next to Steven's bed. It had taken quite a bit of explaining before she understood how to sleep, but she eventually got the hang of it, and was beginning to doze off. Garnet sat watching all of them, a serious expression on her face, thinking about the implications of this latest venture.

* * *

 

**Inside Jasper's Gem**

"Jasper? Are you in here?" called Steven. He walked through the ruins, followed by Pearl and Amethyst, searching the crumbling buildings. The other two Crystal Gems were less comfortable with their current situation then Steven was. A loud cracking noise emanated throughout the landscape, followed by a short shout of pain, and then silence.

"I think we found her..." said Steven nervously. He walked in the direction the noise had came from. Soon, he had found the same building he had been at before, and looked inside. Jasper was still there, but she had gotten worse, and barely acknowledged the young hybrid in front of her. The orange crystals had grown bigger, and spread to both of her shoulders, surrounding her head. Her teeth had gotten longer and sharper, almost reaching outside of her mouth, like she was some kind of monster. The Ex- Homeworld Commander looked over at Steven.

"Why are you back here?" she snarled. Steven gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Because we're friends! Also, I brought Pearl and Amethyst." he said. Jasper looked out of her hiding place to confirm that Steven had indeed brought two more Gems with him. She glared at them for a moment before another crystal punctured her skin and grew outwards. She muffled her scream into a growl. She couldn't show weakness in front of her enemies. Steven looked at Jasper sympathetically. He slowly reached out a hand to gently pat her on the shoulder.

"It's okay, we're gonna help you, I promise." he said with a small smile. Jasper simply grunted in response. She had no interest in the other Gems. But Steven...

"You really think you can help me?" said Jasper gruffly. She tried to hide the small glimmer of hope she had. Steven had helped Lazuli, and by the sound of things, Peridot. Both of them should be dead, but they weren't, not since Steven found them. This fact couldn't be ignored, no matter how hard Jasper tried, and the Crystal Gems knew it. Steven grinned widely.

"I'll do my best!" he said happily. Jasper sighed in defeat. What she was about to do was high treason, and the Diamonds would shatter her gem if they found out, but it was the only way for her to survive.

"Fine, you... Rose-pebble. I'll let you...help me." she mumbled.

"Alright Ste-man! You did it! That's three for three!" exclaimed Amethyst, walking over and patting the boy on the back. She looked at Jasper and smirked.

"Well, well, well, look who needs us. Not so tough now, are you?" she said. Steven looked a little upset.

"Amethyst, she's letting us help, don't make fun of her." he said. Pearl walked over, keeping a fair distance between herself and Jasper.

"Steven's right Amethyst, no matter how much you joke around, the truth of the matter is that another Gem is risking everything by trusting us to help them. You shouldn't play around with that trust. No matter how much you want to." she said firmly. Amethyst scoffed.

"C'mon Pearl, she's cool with it, see?" she said, casually putting an arm around Jasper's shoulders. Jasper was too tired to fight back. She simply sat there silently, awaiting some form of help, or for the corruption to take over. At this point, she would have taken either of them.

"You are cool with it, right?" asked Amethyst. Jasper just nodded. It wasn't worth the energy to respond to this runt. Pearl continued talking, listing rules for Jasper to follow, making many of them up right on the spot. Amethyst took as many opportunities as she could to interrupt.

"Hey P, I get that she's our enemy and everything, but not letting her eat?"

"Gem's don't need to eat, Amethyst, and the food we get for Steven is expensive enough already. If Jasper ever does regain her physical form, I want you two to keep her away from the kitchen, no exceptions."

"What if food helps? Y'know , like how Steven trained that bug thing." said Amethyst. Steven smiled.

"Yeah! The Centipeedle! Maybe Jasper will like the same kind of-"

**"I am _NOT_  "eating" anything."** interjected Jasper. Amethyst smirked.

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it." she said. Japser was about to retort, but then she realized that Amethyst had moved positions, and was now on top of the orange Gem's head.

"Why are you on my head?" asked Jasper warily.

" 'Cause it's comfy. Kinda feels like Lions mane, only less pink." said Amethyst. Jasper rubbed the area around her Gem tiredly.

"Y'know what? I don't care anymore." she sighed. When she looked up, the Gems had vanished, along with Steven. Jasper curled up in her little corner. She tried to tell herself that they weren't coming back, that they had betrayed her, that she should just crush them and escape. And yet... she knew she would see them again. Sooner or later, they would be back, and so it would go until she either died or was saved. She closed her eyes and shuddered as more crystals slowly made their way outwards. These other Gems were her best shot at survival. She let her thoughts begin to drift.

_"Maybe... just maybe... you can help me..."_


	7. Chapter 7 - Spark

"Y'know, when the Crystal Gems gave us this job, I expected a little more... action." sighed Lapis. She looked out over the desolate landscape. The kindergarten wasn't the nicest place to stay, even if the Gems had provided them with a small shack to stay in.

"Staring at all the nothing isn't going to make it go away." said Peridot. Lapis walked over and ruffled the other Gem's hair.

" I guess so. How about we go and look for whatever it is we were sent here for?" she asked. Peridot grumbled slightly and attempted to smooth her hair back into place.

" Agreed. Let's go." she said, walking out the door. The two made their way into the canyon, surveying the area, looking for anything that seemed off. A loud snarling sound alerted them to the fact that they were not alone.

" Do you know what that was?" asked Lapis quietly. Peridot shook her head.

" There's only one thing that sounds like that. But there shouldn't be any here..." she whispered back. Unfortunately, her theory was proven right, as a grotesque creature shambled its way over a nearby hill.

It was an amalgamation of body parts, with a few gems shards in the middle, holding the whole thing together. Peridot let out a small squeak of fear and ducked behind Lapis. The ocean Gem stood in shock.

" Peridot, what it that?!" she exclaimed. Peridot whimpered and tried to hide even more.

" It's one of the fusion experiments that Homeworld was working on." she said. Said experiment was moving towards them at a steady pace. Lapis activated her wings and attempted to keep the monster at bay. A second creature emerged from a hole in the canyon wall. It took all of Lapis' strength to contain both of them. Peridot let out another small shriek as a third gem mutant approached her. It raised one of its arms. Peridot put hers up as a protective reflex.

" _CLANG!"_

She expected to be crushed within a second. What she didn't expect was for her Gem to glow brightly, the light surrounding her arm, forming a shield around her and Lapis. She stared up in awe as she realized that she had summoned the shield. She had always expected that her weapon was energy. She didn't know that taking a new form would change that. She allowed herself a small triumphant laugh as she pushed the shield outwards. The creatures were sent flying, two poofing on contact with the ground, the third taken out by Lapis. The other Gem turned to face Peridot, staring in disbelief, but still smiling.

" My weapon is a shield!" shouted Peridot excitedly. Lapis laughed with her and hugged her tightly.

" That's amazing Peri!" she said. Peridot hugged her back tightly.

" I can't believe it! This is so cool!" she said. She stretched out an arm and focused. Energy made its way down from her Gem to her arm, forming into a rounded shield, light green with a small yellow star at the center. She giggled and moved her arm around a little. Lapis smiled at her partner.

" It's amazing. Steven will be ecstatic." she said. Peridot nodded and let her weapon fizzle out of existence.

" We also need to tell them about the fusion experiments." she said, momentarily regaining her serious nature, then giggling again.

" Sorry, this is just so awesome! I wasn't sure if I would even have a weapon when I took on this form." she admitted. Lapis grabbed her hand as they walked towards the warp pad.

" I'm glad you finally know what your weapon is." she said. They smiled at each other as they warped back to the temple. The sight that greeted them was surprising to say the least.

"What. Is. Going. On?" said Lapis. She had her wings out and had dropped into a battle stance. Peridot stared in shock at the scene in front of her. Steven was in the middle of the room, sitting next to a pillow that had a poofed gem on it, which would be okay if the gem wasn't Jasper.

" Don't attack her! It's okay!" said Steven, quickly getting up to protect the small orange gem. Pearl and Amethyst stepped forward to support him.

" At Steven's request, we are trying to... help Jasper, as much as I dislike the idea. He had been able to communicate with her in his sleep, and recently, she accepted his offer to help her. She's trusting us." said Pearl.

" Yeah, and when she reforms, she's gonna look really weird." added Amethyst, ignoring the glare she received form Pearl. Steven looked up at the two Gems in front of him.

"Please, we have to try to help her, she can't be all evil!" he said.

" She tried to kill me! And Lapis! And you!" exclaimed Peridot. Steven winced slightly, but stood firm, determined to follow through with his plan.

" Both you and Lapis have tried to kill me before, but you're my friends now, despite that. So, can't we just, give Jasper a chance? Please?" he said. Lapis reluctantly pulled in her wings.

" Fine. You can try. But don't expect me to stick around. Where's Garnet? We have something to report." she said. Steven smiled and hugged the blue Gem.

" Thanks Lapis! Garnet's in her room." he said. Lapis patted him gently on the head and walked to the temple door.

" C'mon Peridot. Let's go." she said. Peridot nodded and gave Steven an small smile.

" Well, the girlfriend calls. Good luck with Jasper. Maybe you can give me some weapon training later." she said. She summoned her shield for a few seconds and winked at Steven before joining Lapis in the temple. Steven gasped and turned to Pearl and Amethyst.

" Did you see that? Peridot has a shield!" he said excitedly.

" It seems she does, Steven, but let's focus on your plan for now." said Pearl. The young half-human nodded and turned his attention back to the gem on the cushion. As if on cue, the gem began to glow, levitating slightly. The light that emerged from the gem took a few seconds to arrange itself. When the glowing died down, it revealed Jasper sitting on the floor, looking exactly like she did in her mindscape. Steven tossed a pale blue blanket over her shoulders and smiled.

" Welcome to my house! You'll be staying here as long as you need for us to help you. I hope you'll enjoy it!" he said happily, trying to emulate a hotel owner. Jasper stared at the small child in minor disbelief. This was their base? Some shoddily built earth dwelling? Her train of thought was interrupted as Amethyst walked up and patted her on the shoulder.

" So, what do you think, Jazzy?" she asked with a smirk.

" Please take your hand off of me." grumbled Jasper. Amethyst responded by putting her whole arm around the other Gem's neck.

" Great idea Amethyst! Group hug!" said Steven, walking up and hugging both of them. " You too Pearl!"

"Fine." sighed Pearl, reluctantly joining the group. Jasper reflected on her current situation.

" _I'm being hugged by my enemies, who have offered to help me, and have convinced their allies that I'm worth the trouble."_ she thought. _" Well, I can't say that this has happened before."_


	8. Chapter 8 - Fusion

**AN: In which Jasper discovers earth food. And... love?**

* * *

" And these ones are Barbecue flavored." said Steven, holding up yet another bag. Jasper sighed. All of the things looked the same, and this had nothing to do with helping her, at least nothing she noticed.

" What's your point?" she growled.

" It means they taste different." replied Steven. He ran off to get more food. Amethyst flopped onto the floor next to Jasper.

" Have you actually tired eating them yet?" she asked, opening the bag of chips. She picked one up and held it towards Jasper's face. " Here, open up!"

" What are yo- GMMPPH!" Jasper had begun to ask a question but soon realized that it was hard to talk with a chip shoved into your mouth. She hastily crunched the offending food and, not knowing what to do next, swallowed it. She began to complain, but stopped mid-sentence, as the chip's flavor began to take effect.

" What is that?" she asked. Amethyst smiled and waved the bag of chips in the air.

" These ones are pickle, I think. How was it?" she asked. Jasper thought about it for a moment.

" Not that bad." she admitted quietly. Amethyst held out the bag.

" Want some more?" she asked. Jasper hesitantly took another chip, chewing it thoughtfully, before grabbing a handful and cramming them into her mouth.

" That good, huh?" said Amethyst. Jasper nodded.

" Igmph didmph knomph ertph fuugmph wphs so amgrummph." she mumbled, spewing bits of chips into the air.

" Come again?" asked Amethyst, wiping chip flecks off her face. Jasper finished swallowing the chips and coughed.

" I didn't know that earth food was so amazing!" she said, momentarily forgetting to be upset, allowing herself a wide smile.

" Does it all taste like this?" she asked. Amethyst opened a few more bags from the pile.

" Let's find out." she said with a mischievous grin. Pearl walked into the room later to find the two lying on the floor, surrounded by empty chip bags, and what looked like at least three ice cream tubs. The whole situation took around an hour to sort out, and by the time Greg brought a very enthusiastic Steven back from the grocery store, Pearl had made it a rule that Jasper and Amethyst were not to be fed for the rest of the day. Greg was given a short introduction to Jasper before he excused himself from the room, sensing hostility, even thought Steven insisted that Jasper wouldn't hurt him.

"So... that Greg was what made the hybrid?" Jasper inquired. Steven gave her a wide smile.

" Yeah, him and my mom, Rose Quartz!" he said. Jasper raised an eyebrow as best she could.

" I still don't get it. Why would Rose give up everything to make... you?" she asked.

" Love. " answered Garnet, who had walked in while they were talking. Jasper fell silent for a while.

" Is... is this " _love_ " thing really that strong?" she asked quietly.

" Yeah! Love is, like, the strongest thing! It's why Garnet can stay Garnet all the time! Right Garnet?" said Steven excitedly. The fusion gently ruffled his hair.

" That's right Steven. Love is the answer." she said. " I have a mission to attend to. You and Amethyst keep an eye on Jasper. Pearl, we need Sardonyx for this one, let's go."

" Right away Garnet!" said Pearl happily. Steven waved at them as they left. Amethyst just grunted.

" What's Sardonyx?" asked Jasper. Amethyst waved her hand dismissively.

" She's the fusion between Pearl and Garnet." she said. Steven gasped and looked disappointed.

" Awwww, I wanted to see her! That sounds awesome!" he said. Amethyst rolled her yes.

" She's a show off. Trust me, you're not missing much. " she grumbled. Jasper scowled.

" So you're saying that fusions of different Gems... have their own personality's?" she asked. Amethyst apathetically blew some hair out of her face.

" Well, duh. What did you think they were like?" she said. Jasper scoffed.

" The same Gem, but bigger, what kind of fusion would be it's own Gem?" she said. Steven scooted up closer.

" Wasn't Malachite like that?" he asked. Jasper shook her head.

"No, of course not, she was horrible!" Jasper shouted. She sat silent for a moment afterwards before whispering, " Was she supposed to be?"

" Yeah, she was. Man, she must have been really unstable." said Amethyst. A cunning grin wound it's way across her face.

" Hey Steven, you still wanna see a fusion, right?" she asked. Steven looked over at her, starry-eyed, his face serving as an answer. Amethyst smirked a little more and extended a hand towards Jasper.

" Well, the kiddo wants what he wants, what do 'ya say?" she said. Jasper glared at the offered appendage as if it was giving her a death threat. She looked at the small purple Gem.

" C'mon Jazz, for Steven!" she said, motioning towards the delighted half-human watching them. Jasper let out a heavy sigh. She really couldn't see a way out of this.

" Fine. Just one dance, and if it doesn't work, you never get to try again." she growled. Amethyst grinned.

" That's good enough for me. " she said, helping Jasper stand up. The dance itself was less than stellar for a while. Jasper was a tad shaky and almost fell down a few times.

_"If I'm going to fuse with this runt, it's going to be the best fusion I can make it."_ she thought. Soon after, her moves became more refined, and though Amethyst's moves were hard to follow, Jasper found it easier than the fusion with Lapis. The small Gem's style was closer to her own that Lazuli's was. Once they had finally manged to get in sync, their gems glowed, and their forms began to merge. Steven sat wide-eyed, watching the mass of combined light stretch towards the ceiling, stopping just short of the first rafter. The light faded and the fusion was revealed.

**"Well, there you go... wait, there we go? No, you... no _you_... no... me?"** said the fusion, four magenta eyes blinking in confusion, surprised at the sound of her own booming voice. She looked down at herself. Her outfit resembled Amethyst's, with more skin showing around the middle, and the Diamond insignia from Jasper's uniform on the front. Her skin was a light purple, with pale orange stripes streaking across her body, and a single wide orange section making its way down an absolutely monstrous mane of dark purple hair. Steven ran up to her excitedly.

"Wow! You guys look amazing together! You know who I am, right?" he asked hopefully. The fusion looked down at him. She scowled for a moment as she tried to think.

**"You're... Steven. Steven Universe. Tiny Rose!"** she said triumphantly after a moment of thought. Steven beamed.

"You recognize me!" he exclaimed. The fusion flashed him a toothy smile.

"What's your name?" he asked. "I could call you Jasperthyst, but that's hard to say, and - "

**" Armetrine. "** the fusion interrupted. **"My name is Armetrine."**

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Armetrine!" said Steven, formally putting out a hand to shake. Armetrine gently shook his hand with one of her fingers. She smiled again and started giggling.

**"I'm Armetrine... I'm me... I am my own gem!"** she said with increasing volume. She suddenly jumped out and flung her arms wide and shouted;

**"I'M ARMETRINE!"**


	9. Chapter 9 - Concern

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for the long wait recently. I've been super busy.

" Steven! What is going on here!?"

Armetrine and Steven turned to look at the warp pad. Pearl and Garnet were standing there, weapons drawn, ready to fight. Pearl took one look at the fusion and paled.

"Jasper's forced Amethyst to fuse with her!" she exclaimed. Steven ran in front of Armetrine with his arms outstretched.

"Wait! Don't hurt her! Jasper didn't force Amethyst to do anything! They agreed to fuse!" he said. Pearl looked to her teammate for confirmation. Garnet had already gotten rid of her gauntlets and was beginning to walk towards Armetrine. She went right past a protesting Steven and looked at the fusion before her. Armentine felt obliged to crouch down so she could look Garnet in the eyes.

"Who are you?"

**"I am Armetrine."**

"And how do you feel?" asked Garnet. Armetrine thought for a few seconds.

 **"I feel... strong. And... complete. And... happy."** she answered. Garnet smiled in approval.

"Is Amethyst in there?" she said. Armetrine nodded.

"Is Jasper in there?" she said. A slightly smaller nod. Garnet frowned a bit.

"Is Jasper alright?" she asked. Armetrine furrowed her brow and thought.

 **"Yes, she is, but she's not as strong as Amethyst. Jasper's never felt this... accepted before. And Amethyst has only been this comfortable in a fusion since the last time she formed Opal. They're both a little scared, a little confused, but they're both happy."** she explained. Garnet grinned. She had initially been worried about how Armetrine might appear. But it seemed that the fusion had come into the world in the best way possible.

"She's really that comfortable?" asked Pearl. She cautiously walked up to the fusion. Armetrine smirked.

 **"You're jealous, aren't you?"** she said. Pearl blushed slightly and Armetrine laughed.

 **"Don't worry, she still likes you, and being fused isn't going to change that."** she reassured Pearl. The smaller gem blushed deeper and mumbled a thank you. Armetrine's smile faded slightly.

 **"Something's not right..."** she muttered. Garnet looked serious again.

"What is it?" she inquired. Armetrine looked down at her hands, frowning.

 **"Something's off. It feels like there's a bunch of clouds in my head that are gonna take over if I let them, my gems hurt, and I'm starting to shake. Does any of that make sense?"** she replied. Garnet grabbed Pearl and Steven by their arms and pulled them back a bit.

"Whatever it is, it won't end well, I know that much. Armetrine, you have to unfuse immediately!" said Garnet. Armetrine might have asked why if a shooting pain hadn't gone through her gems at that exact moment.

She screamed and fell to her knees, curling up into the fetal position, grabbing her gems as if it would soothe the pain. Spikes of orange and purple gemstone pierced through her shoulders, shining in the light, and her eyes began to go blank. Pearl covered Steven's ears in an attempt to muffle the noise, but it was no use, as the cries of agony could be heard from the town. Light began to radiate throughout the room as Armetrine tried to unfuse. After a few seconds of struggle, the two finally separated, each falling to the floor. Steven ran towards Amethyst with Garnet and Pearl close behind him.

"Amethyst! Are you okay?" he asked. Amethyst groaned and sat up slowly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, just a little sore." she said. Everyone's attention soon shifted over to Jasper. The quartz warrior was writhing on the ground, screaming, her body arched as more spikes grew out and down her back. She fell silent a moment later, lying on the floor, trembling. Steven ran up to her, concerned, ignoring the complaints from Pearl.

"Jasper? Can you hear me?" he asked. Jasper grunted in response and tried to push herself off the ground. Her arms shook for a moment and she went right back down. Amethyst walked up beside Steven.

"Hey, if this is because of the fusion, I'm sorry. It was a stupid idea. I just wanted to show off." she said. Jasper tried to look at the small Gem.

"S'not because of the fusion..." she grumbled. She tried again to get up, managing to get into a technically upright position, and kept talking.

"This is because of something I can't control. It doesn't have anything to do with Armetrine."

"So... you didn't hate being fused with me?" asked Amethyst. Jasper thought for a moment.

"No. It was... different that what I expected. I didn't know I would just... disappear like that." she admitted, suprised by her own reaction. "It was... nice."

"I knew you weren't all bad, Jazzy." said Amethyst with a grin, putting an arm around Jasper. Jasper allowed herself a tiny smile.

 _"Maybe these Crystal Gems aren't all that bad either..."_ she thought. Pearl watched with a disapproving scowl. She was going to have to have a serious talk with Amethyst later.


	10. Chapter 10 - Feelings

"Amethyst, what were you thinking?!" exclaimed Pearl. Amethyst sighed and fiddled with her hair. She should have known that Pearl wanting to talk to her in private would result in being yelled at.

"Look, I already said it earlier, I wanted to show off to Steven. What more do you want?" she asked. Pearl crossed her arms.

"I know you can be a show off, but fusing with Jasper?! She may be here until Steven can heal her gem, but she's still an enemy, and I don't trust her." she huffed. Amethyst raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You were the one who said earlier that Jasper was trusting us and we had to respect it. Whatever happened to all of that?" she said. Pearl blushed slightly.

"Nothing happened to that. I just..."

"You just what?" said Amethyst. She smirked and leaned forwards.

"You jealous?" she said teasingly. Pearl glared at her for a second, took a deep breath, and looked away.

"Fine. I was. Is that what you wanted to hear?" she admitted. Instead of the laugh she expected, there was silence, and Pearl turned to see Amethyst looking much more serious than normal.

"N-no, it wasn't." she said. "I was just joking around. Why would you be jealous?"

"Well... I..." Pearl sighed and wrapped her arms around her torso.

"Armetrine said you were as happy are you are when we form Opal. I didn't want to share that feeling with anyone but you. When I saw how well you got along with Jasper, I felt like she was taking you from me. I didn't want to lose you like... like I lost Rose. I was being selfish. I apologize for my actions." she said formally. Amethyst felt a blush making its way onto her face.

"Geez P, why didn't you say anything?" she asked. Pearl just shook her head.

"I can see that you don't feel the same was as I do. I'm sorry for wasting your time." she said briskly, turning to walk away.

"Wait." Amethyst grabbed her arm.

" I never wanted you to feel jealous... and all that mushy stuff... I don't know those feelings like you do. Before, you had Rose, you knew how you felt towards her. I was really young, and wasn't sure about a lot of stuff, but looked up to you. When Rose met Greg, you were acting weird, and I didn't know why. I thought that if I acted the way you did, then you might notice me, but you didn't. You never did. Not until Steven came along. When we're working together, looking after him, I feel closer to you, and..."

She paused to take a breath.

"I... I think I feel the same towards you... like you did for Rose." she finished. She let go of Pearl's hand with a blush. She was surprised to find herself wrapped in a hug the next second. She hugged back, nuzzling her head on Pearl's shoulder, holding her tightly.

"Amethyst... I'm sorry about the past..."

"S'okay P. Don't feel bad about it now."

"I know.. but... do you want to try things again?"

Pearl pulled back from the hug and smiled at Amethyst, uncharacteristically shy, a slight blush on her face.

" This relationship... our relationship... do you think we could make it work?" she asked. Amethyst smirked and gave Pearl a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Have I ever let you down?" she said. Pearl grinned.

"I can name a few times..." she said teasingly. Amethyst's protest was cut off by a quick, small kiss from Pearl. The taller Gem blushed even deeper and smiled widely.

"I'm just kidding." she said. Amethyst's expression of embarrassed shock gave way to more smirking.

"Wow, you learned how to do that? I'm impressed." she said sarcastically. Pearl winked.

"I learned from the best." she said.

* * *

" I hate to interrupt, but we need you guys back at the house, and smooching each other isn't going to help us."

Pearl and Amethyst both blushed and turned towards the source of the familiar yet seldom heard voice.

" Ruby! What are you doing here?" asked Pearl. Ruby pointed towards the house.

" Sapphire stayed back to help, but we need you guys in there, right now." Her expression was serious. " Jasper's gotten worse. You fused with her, Amethyst, so you're out best chance at calming her down."

" Lead the way." said Amethyst, grabbing Pearl's hand. Ruby took a second to smile proudly at the couple.

" You guys remind me of Sahppy and I when we first met. Hand holding everywhere." She started to walk towards the house.

" But, as Garnet says, love takes time and love takes work." she added. The group soon arrived at the house, only to dive to the side as one of the kitchen stools flew out the window, shattering the glass.

* * *

"Steven?! Are you okay?!" exclaimed Pearl, summoning her spear and jumping through the newly made hole, scanning the room for the boy. She spotted him on top of his bed, surrounded by a light pink bubble, and waving at her. Pearl allowed herself a second of relief before he had to dodge a icicle thrown her way. She turned her gaze towards the center of the room and was taken aback at the sight in front of her.

_**"GGGGGRRRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"** _

The primal sound seemed to rip itself out of Jasper's throat. The Quartz warrior was surrounded by ice, some of it creating chains, the rest making a spiked circle around her. Only one of her eyes was open, the one of pure white, and her entire right side seemed more bestial. Huge shards of orange minerals had pierced her skin, guarding her body, and were trying to spread to the other side of it. One hand's claws dug into the floor while the other shielded her gem. She growled and bared her fangs. Strangled breaths escaped her mouth, barely audible, but words none the less.

 _"Don't... come closer... just... run."_ she gasped. Pearl advanced none the less. She deflected the swipe of Jasper's claw that came towards her and rolled to the other side of the Gem. Jasper winced, curling up into a ball, struggling to speak.

 _"I can't... control it..."_ she gurgled, as more and more her body morphed, forcing her to walk on all fours.

 _ **"PLEASE!"**_ she managed to shout. She slowly opened her other eye, obviously in pain, and, impossibly, she looked close to crying.

 _"I... don't... want... to... hurt... anyone... Not... anymore... please... don't... come... any... closer... to... me... I... don't.. want... to... hurt... you..."_ She collapsed from the effort it took to talk, touching her head to the floor, letting the icy chains Sapphire had made keep her down.

 _"It... hurts... please...just.."_ Jasper whispered. Her words were barely more than a breath. _"Break... me..."_

"We're not gonna break you!" shouted Amethyst. She leaped over Jasper to stand next to Pearl. She walked slowly towards the convulsing Gem.

"I don't know how I'm gonna explain this... but... I feel the same way for you that I do for Pearl. I don't know what that means, but if I can love Pearl, then maybe..." she faltered for a second, then looked back at Jasper with rarely seen tears in her eyes.

" Maybe I can love you too. Maybe I can teach Pearl how to love you. I don't know how all that would work, but I know how I feel, and I don't give up on my feelings." she said. She reached Jasper and slowly wrapped her arms around the warriors neck, burying her face in the mane of fluffy orange hair, muffling a sob.

" I'm not gonna give up on you." she whispered. Jasper shook, and slowly relaxed her muscles, leaning into the hug.

 _"... promise?"_ she muttered. Amethyst took a deep breath, gently gave Jasper a soft kiss on the forehead, and smiled slightly.

" I promise." she said.

"I promise too."

Amethyst turned her head to see Pearl standing behind her.

" I said that we would try this again... and if that means that I share your feelings with Jasper... then that's okay." said Pearl with a small smile. She tentatively put her arms around Jasper and Amethyst.

" Thank goodness." sighed Sapphire. She released the ice chains and Ruby got to work melting and evaporating the mess it left. Steven let his protective bubble fade and ran down the stairs towards the group in the middle of the house.

" I couldn't really hear anything from in there. Did we do it?" he asked. A bright light alerted him to Garnet's appearance.

" We did it." she confirmed.

" Whatever it is."


	11. Chapter 11 - Quiet

"So... there's a giant Gem mutant in the middle of the earth?"

"Pretty much."

The Crystal Gems sat in a circle. With the issue of Jasper mostly out of the way, they could focus on Lapis and Peridots report, and everything that it meant. It had taken a while after the two had returned to assure them that Jasper was currently to be trusted to some degree, and they reluctantly went along with it, though they both kept their distance. Jasper herself still shook occasionally, and Amethyst sat next to her, softly stroking her hair. Pearl was close by, holding Amethyst's other hand, and frowned slightly at the news of the cluster.

"How are we supposed to get rid of it?" she mused out loud. " If we could get close, maybe we could destroy it, but that would be almost impossible."

"Simple. We build a drill." replied Peridot, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. The rest of the group looked at her in slight disbelief.

" I suppose so... but that would take quite a long time. " said Pearl after a moment of thought.

"Not if we use one of the drill heads from the kindergarten." stated Peridot. "We can focus on building the drill full time, and get to it before it emerges, therefore saving the planet!"

"You really think so?" asked Steven, eyes wide with excitement.

"Of course! When has one of my plans ever gone wrong?" she exclaimed. A few of the Gems present jokingly raised their hands. Peridot scowled.

"Okay, so maybe some stuff didn't work out like I wanted it to, but this is the one chance we've got!" she said, arms crossed. Lapis walked over to her and ruffled her hair.

"Don't get all huffy. You're right." she said. Peridot blushed slightly and tried to fix her hair.

"Thank you. Now, let's start planning." she said, running over to a pile of Stevens stuff and pulling out a piece of paper.

"Now, we should split into teams. Steven, if you can find your human friend Connie, then you two should be able to handle searching for the smaller parts we need from around the city. Amethyst, you and Garnet go to the kindergarten and retrieve one of the drill heads, the bigger the better. Pearl and I will be in charge of planning and electronics. Lapis, you can help with construction, your powers will make lifting things a lot easier. As for Jasper..."

Peridot paused and looked at Jasper. After a few moments of silence, she took a deep breath, and sighed.

"You will accompany Amethyst wherever she goes. I know that she has feelings for you so some degree, so she's the best for you to travel with, in case of any... incidents. "

"That would work if she could warp with us. But, in her current state, I wouldn't recommend it." said Garnet.

"Well... what about Pearl? Someone has to stay and look after Steven, so why doesn't she stay here to watch Jasper too?" asked Amethyst.

"I'm supposed to be planning the drill." said Pearl, still hesitant to be alone with Jasper, but Garnet nodded.

"We need Amethyst to retrieve the drill. Pearl will stay here with Jasper and Steven until we come back from the kindergarten. Peridot can make preliminary sketches to show to Pearl later." she said, starting to walk towards the warp pad. "Come on, we can't waste time."

"On it, G squad!" said Amethyst, saluting, grinning with her usual enthusiasm. She took a second to hug Jasper gently, giving her a small kiss on the forehead.

"I'll be back soon. Try not to annoy the bird while I'm gone." she said, pointing a Pearl with a smirk. She then silenced Pearls inevitable complaint by pulling her down for a kiss.

"Bye!" said Steven, waving to the group of Gems that were now on the warp pad. They all smiled at him before warping out of the house. A few moments of silence followed.

"Whelp! I'm of to find Connie!" said Steven, sensing a bit of awkwardness, and headed out the door.

"Let me know when you two meet up, okay? And don't be late for dinner!" Pearl called after him.

"Is he always like that?" asked Jasper, her voice a gruff whisper. Pearl sighed.

"Most of the time, yes." she said, turning to face the quartz warrior. The room fell silent as the stared at each other for a minute or two.

"Listen... I know how close you are to Amethyst. At the rate my Gem's going, I won't be _me_ for to much longer. If I really do turn into a monster... please... break me. I know I'd be bubbled, but I wouldn't be able to stand that, giving false hope. I won't regenerate into myself, no matter how much I want to, if I corrupt fully. Amethyst... she would never shatter me... but I know you can. So please... promise... that if the worst happens you'll be there for her. " Jasper said eventually.

"... I promise." said Pearl after a moment of thought. Jasper smiled, relived, but winced as more crystals made their way through her skin.

"Thank you." she murmured. Pearl tried to shake a feeling of guilt. She had said to Amethyst that she would share her with Jasper, and she meant every word of it, but seeing how Jasper was now...

"I would like for your to promise me something." she said, walking up to Jasper, arms crossed.

"For as long as you have left... make sure she's happy, alright? If Amethyst really feels the same way towards both of us, then you're very important to her, so make sure it's warranted." she said. Jasper chuckled.

"I'll do my best. After all, a Quartz never gives up." she said, attempting a grin. Pearl felt another pang of guilt, but this one was of a different kind, one she hadn't felt in a while.

"You sound just like Rose did." Pearl mumbled before she could stop herself. She realized what she had said and blushed slightly, looking away from Jasper, as if the sight of her would cause more damage. Another silence followed.

"I never quite understood... why did Rose give up everything, give up you, for a human?" said Jasper. Pearl flinched a bit, but then drew herself up to full height, staring at Jasper with an intensity rarely seen in Pearls.

"She loved him, that's why. Rose and I had our relationship, she had a few human suitors, but she eventually stuck with Greg. I've moved past any negative feelings I have towards him, I understand what Rose did, and her reasons for doing it." she said. She turned away. She didn't want to discuss this any further with a Gem that she still considered an enemy.

"... You must be very strong."

Pearl looked back at Jasper. The warrior was staring at Pearl with an expression that could only be described as admiration.

"You survived the war, you've fought countless battles since, and you lost the one Gem you gave everything for... but you're still here. I know that I couldn't do anything close to that. I would have shattered thousands of years ago. You're strong Gem, and not just for a Pearl, but for any type of Gem. I respect that." she explained. Pearl felt a small blush rising on her face. This was not the response she expected. She hesitantly took a few steps closer to Jasper.

"... Why are you acting like this? Even with your Gem damaged, and your bond with Amethyst, this behavior is still... unusual for you..." she murmured. Jasper let out a tired laugh that turned into a cough.

"When I first emerged, I was small, a runt. Even though I'm just another numberless soldier, I promised myself that I would never be weak, or show any signs of it. But now, I'm basically dying, so I don't have to worry about any of that anymore. I guess the way I'm acting now is just... me. Me without all the power I used to have. Me at my weakest." she said, half to herself, absentmindedly picking at her claws. Pearl slowly sat down next to Jasper. She looked into the Quartz's eyes and saw the same pain of war that had been in her own for so many years.

" You don't have to be what Homeworld raised you to be anymore, so you're starting to discover yourself, and that's not weakness. That's strength. And how strong you are isn't measured by how much you can lift, or how long you can fight, but who you are at your core. Therefore, you were never before, and never will be, weak." she said. A few moments of quiet followed.

"Pearl?"

"Yes?"

"... Thank you."


	12. Chapter 12 - Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: IMMA JUST DO A TIME SKIP KAY - Please envision the building of the drill however you like. I need to finish this thing so I can start Reset.

**~ 1 month after the start of drill construction... ~**

"We really did it."

Peridots' statement was echoed among the gems gathered around the drill. It had taken a long time, but with their teamwork, it was finally complete. They all gazed at the machine. This amalgamation of spare car parts, household appliances, and Homeworld technology was their only hope for saving the planet. It seemed strong enough, that was for sure, and all in all the Gems were very proud of themselves.

"Okay. Everyone get a good nights rest. We start drilling in the morning." said Garnet.

"Are you sure we shouldn't test it first?" asked Pearl, surprised at her comrades enthusiasm.

"We don't have time to test it." Peridot reminded her. "The cluster could start emerging at any moment!"

"Exactly. But we can't just rush in. We'll take a little down time for ourselves before we leave and go over the plan one more time. That way, if something goes wrong, we'll be ready." said Garnet with a smile, adjusting Steven, whom had made a bed out of her hair once again.

"Don't worry about that. Nothing is going to go wrong." said Peridot, dismissing the thought with the wave of her hand.

"Famous last words..." said Lapis, half-jokingly. Everyone shared a slightly uneasy giggle. As confident as they were, the drill wasn't quite what they would want to use against the cluster, despite having no other option. The main group made their way back to the temple as Peridot and Lapis stayed behind.

"We're back!" proclaimed Amethyst to the almost empty house. Greg waved awkwardly from the door.

"Hey guys. Are you finished with that drill thing you've been working on?" he asked.

"Yes, and we're using it tomorrow." said Pearl.

"Oh, that's.. great. Say, is Steven... going to be in it when you use it?" asked Greg. Garnet nodded.

"He's wanted to do this since day one of construction. It will be a great learning opportunity for him." she said.

"He's going to learn things by saving the planet from an over-sized Gem mutant?" said Amethyst, eyebrow raised. Garnet giggled, something she didn't do often, and took a sleeping Steven off of her head.

"He will. I know it's almost unbelievable, but out of all the futures I can see right now, none of them are bad. Not a one! This has never happened before." she explained with a giddy smile. Pearl, Amethyst, and Greg all let out a small sigh of relief.

"Hopefully things stay that way." said Greg, taking Steven from Garnet and going to place the boy in his bed.

"How was Jasper tonight?" asked Amethyst. Since all the Gems had begun work on the drill, and Jasper couldn't warp, they had asked Greg to look after her while they were out. He had grown used to the job after a while, and decided that there were more dangerous things that they could have asked him to do, despite the ancient Gem battleaxe they had left with him just in case. He could barely lift the thing, let alone use it, and was pleased when he found out that most of what Jasper did lately was sleep.

"She's out like a light, as usual." he said, pointing at the pile of orange fluff that was snoring from a blanket laid out behind Stevens TV set. Amethyst and Pearl walked up to it together. Amethyst pet Jaspers' hair lightly.

"Rest well, brave warrior." muttered Pearl, smiling at the sleeping Gem. Amethyst looked up at her with glee.

"I knew you like her too." she whispered triumphantly. She hugged both of them as close as she could.

"I was thinking, Amethyst, that maybe... you, Jasper, and I could be like those three young humans that Steven is friends with. The... what did he call them... "cool kids?" said Pearl.

"Sour Cream, Jenny Pizza and Buck Dewey?" said Amethyst, smiling when Pearl nodded in response. "Of course we could be like them. All of us, loving each other, ordering food for three..."

"Don't move too fast." said Pearl, ruffling Amethysts hair. "We still need to ask Jasper about it."

"Yeah, I know, but this is so exciting! You two lovebirds make a great couple." said Amethyst teasingly, sticking out her tongue in response. Pearl laughed softly.

"There wouldn't be any love if it weren't for you, Amethyst." she said with a small blush.

"As much as I love hearing you two talk about me, I do need my rest, so how about you just sleep beside me?" grumbled Jasper, making Pearl and Amethyst jump with surprise, as they thought she was asleep. Amethyst smirked and curled up next to Jasper, motioning for Pearl to do the same. Pearl sighed, tentatively lay down next to the two, and within a second she had ended up sandwiched between them. The three eventually drifted off to sleep, enjoying each others warmth, happily oblivious to the world around them.

Such a intimate display of affection was rarely seen among gems, but this case was special enough to warrant documentation, which ended up coming from a small bug like machine hidden on the windowsill, out of sight, its body pulsing a dull red light as is recorded the unknowing Gems in front of it before flying off into the darkness.


	13. Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: Canon fucked me up BUT I DON'T GIVE A SHIT LET'S DO THIS. Short chapter because I'm gearing up for the end. And yes the disjointed style in on purpose.

**Drilling day, at the barn...**

Steven, Peridot, and Lapis had already begun their descent down into the earth.

Amethyst and Pearl had stayed behind with Jasper.

And something was very, very wrong.

As soon as Garnet arrived at the barn to oversee the drill down to the cluster she could tell.

It was like a cloud over her future vision was lifted.

Her warning came too late for Steven and the others.

She had to tell them.

She had to do something.

She shuddered as Ruby and Sapphire argued.

Sapphire insisted on staying put.

Ruby wanted to warn Pearl and Amethyst.

Two dangers were coming.

One from far away and one from close to home.

She couldn't do anything to stop either of them.

So there she stood.

 

Waiting.

 

Hoping.

 

**Beach City, Crystal Gem Temple...**

The day had been going fine.

Steven and the fusion had left, both happy, both smiling.

Amethyst and Pearl were doing various things throughout the house that morning.

Jasper had almost felt at peace.

Until she felt a sickeningly familiar feeling in her gem.

Her vision started to come in flashes.

Her already enlarged claws scraping the floor as they grew longer.

More spikes sprouted up from under her skin and took over her body.

Her voice was morphed into a garbled roar as she tried to scream.

Pearl and Amethyst telling her to hold on, to fight it.

to fight it...

 

_FIGHT_

 

So she fought.

 

Wooden floors and walls destroyed by a monster.

Pillows and blankets torn in the battle.

Loved ones crying out in desperation.

She fought.

A bright, nearly blinding, light in front of her.

A fusion.

Four arms wrapped around her.

Two gems around her.

 

Love around her.

 

She let it take her.

 

Beach city watched on in awe and horror as a giant monstrosity stormed up the waterfront.

A gruesome sight.

 

Spikes and claws and six arms, or were they legs?

 

Two fanged maws open and shrieking.

 

A long mane of white hair striped with orange and purple doing little to hide the malformed spikes that lined its back.

 

 

Fire Opal screamed to the stars.

 

And above the earth, far out of view...

 

a gem smiled back at her.


End file.
